Shimmery Summery

For most people I know, Summer 2009 has ended. Some have started fall classes at various universities, and a select few are off to start their new jobs. Select few. One to be exact.

But real summer isn't over yet, it's still lovely outside, everyone should enjoy it!

Most recently, I finished my internship at the ad agency uptown. Overall I want to say it was a good experience... really just more of a necessary one. My internship was in account services, and in this position, I figured out that I loathe account services. Kudos to anyone that has the ability to handle a client with precision and grace, because I would kill the first stupid ass client that crossed me the wrong way. So it was a learning experience for me! When I first graduated I really was unsure of the direction I wanted to take in the industry. I knew I was creative, I knew I WANTED to be in creative but I really didn't think I had the skill necessary to dive right into it out of college. I should have been a graphic design major or at least minor. But you know! Have the degree now...

I digress. After being at the agency, I realized there are a multitude of different positions in creative, and not all of them require immediate expert level experience.

Whenever someone asks me where I want to end up in advertising, I tell them my interest in music branding and that I want to be an art buyer. But not until last night, when I submersed myself in everything advertising did I see just how much I want to be an art buyer. So now I have a pin pointed goal!

So, the job search continues...

I found an interesting article on AdAge today about women in creative. Creativity Knows No Gender, but Agency Creative Departments Sure Do :

Despite all that, women have succeeded in becoming creative directors in advertising agencies. And research has sifted out the traits they share: great creative talent, a competitive nature, resilience and an outgoing personality. They are politically astute, primarily focused on career and/or childless.

Well that puts a damper on things... I know I say I hate children, but I always think I might have some one day...

Ew. ha.

Let's talk about that game DJ Hero. It's like Guitar Hero right, only you use a turn table to scratch through mixes done by legendary DJs, I assume there is a free style mode too? Check it out here:

and a video:



My point about mentioning this?

B and C TOTALLY had this idea first! Over a year ago, they had this idea for a hip hop rap type version of guitar hero, only they wanted to call it Urban Legend. B says playing DJ Hero would make me a traitor. I want to look at it this way, really this game is more of a DJing game, and less of a rapping game. So they still have a chance! But let's face it, their idea of the game will be created eventually.


Lately, despite the job situation, I've been so... effervescent. Bubbling over with joy. I don't know why. You know, things in life really go much better when I am just able to let go and take everything a little less seriously. If i don't over analyze or jump to conclusions, things go my way. I am so much happier too. Just going with the flow for a little while. I am trying to continue thinking this way, every once in a while I lose it, but so far so good!

I leave you with a photo, OF THE ANGRIEST MAN IN THE WORLD!!!!

In Advertising...

I've been bored at home lately so I began watching season 1 of Mad Men. It's a pretty good show so far.



Today I was reading this AdAge article , which talks about VW dropping Crispin Porter as it's agency. That's all well and good, I thought the efforts and campaigns of late were horrendous.

What interested me was one commenters nod to Bill Bernbach. He posted several quotations fromt he legendary advertiser; they are good reminders of what we should be striving for in this business-- (antiquated or not, what works, works.)

"1) The most powerful element in advertising is the truth.

2) Word of mouth is the best medium of all.

3) It is insight into human nature that is the key to the communicator's skill. For whereas the writer is concerned with what he puts into his writings, the communicator is concerned with what the reader gets out of it. He therefore becomes a student of how people read or listen.

4) Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.

5) You can say the right thing about a product and nobody will listen. You've got to say it in such a way that people will feel it in their gut. Because if they don't feel it, nothing will happen.

6) Forget words like 'hard sell' and 'soft sell.' That will only confuse you. Just be sure your advertising is saying something with substance, something that will inform and serve the consumer, and be sure you're saying it like it's never been said before.

7) Just because your ad looks good is no insurance that it will get looked at. How many people do you know who are impeccably groomed... but dull?

8) No matter how skillful you are, you can't invent a product advantage that doesn't exist. And if you do, and it's just a gimmick, it's going to fall apart anyway.

9) Our job is to sell our clients' merchandise... not ourselves. Our job is to kill the cleverness that makes us shine instead of the product. Our job is to simplify, to tear away the unrelated, to pluck out the weeds that are smothering the product message.

10) Advertising doesn't create a product advantage. It can only convey it.

11) Advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion happens to be not a science, but an art.

12) Properly practiced creativity must result in greater sales more economically achieved. Properly practiced creativity can lift your claims out of the swamp of sameness and make them accepted, believed, persuasive, urgent. "

I only hope that one day I am able to actually put these things into practice by actually working at a real agency...not just interning.

King David, King James...

King Leonidas better be next.

I find myself at a standstill.
I am doing my best to move on, I'm dating at least. Bottom line, my heart is still in Lubbock as I droll on in Dallas. I'm not sad about it or anything-- I say it matter of factly. I find myself purposely grafitfying the flaws of those I date so I end up hating them. Although, this last one wasn't very good anyway. I have a knack for dating creeps. They don't start out that way! They turn out to be so over time. Saying I wish I were still in school is an understatement.

I've been trying to find a side job while I continue on with my internship at this ad agency, hoping and praying all the while that I will get a job here soon. I've applied several places, there is one I'd really like-- a photography assistant for the weekends for weddings and other events. It sounds GREAT.

I'm also trying to sell some stuff on eBay, anything to make a little bit more money.

Although I don't get paid for my internship, it sure has its perks. Tomorrow I'm going to see a screening of Extract, the new Jason Bateman movie. It's written and directed by Mike Judge, whose work I usually enjoy.


And in 2 weeks, I am going to see Incubus in concert!!!!!1 Out of my top 5 favorite bands, I only need to see one more after this-- and that's Coldplay. YES. YES.

So beside being broke, life is all around good.

I leave you with my all-time favorite commercial: